No time to hit the gym? No need to leave the house to get a workout. Here are some chores that count as exercise.
What can you read in this article?
- How do you burn calories?
- Simple house chores that count as exercise
- How many calories do you burn when you do these chores
As much as we’d like to follow in the footsteps of our fitspiration celebrity moms on Instagram, who practically live in the gym, we often get caught up in the demands of work and home, forcing us to push our fitness plans to the bottom of our to-do list.
But as we’ve come to realize the past couple of years, self-care is very important. Regardless of how busy we are, we should take time to take care of ourselves by eating right and engaging in some physical activities that will help us burn calories. Even if we have to incorporate it into our daily routine to do it.
Household chores don’t have to be a boring task that keeps the house spic and span. It can also be a fun way to get fit! According to WebMD, non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT can boost your metabolism and help manage your weight. Those physical activities include things you do around the house except for sleeping and eating.
In fact, according to research done by UK-based kitchen company Wren Kitchens, we burn over 50,000 calories every month, just by doing household chores. That translates to burning 1,478 calories every day. Getting things done and burning calories? Now that’s really neat!
Below, we’re listing down a few chores that count as exercise. We will be putting the number of calories burned with every chore, depending on how long you do it too.
You may notice that a person who weighs more will burn more calories. This is because a calorie is simply a unit of energy, so the number of calories you burn during a physical activity is actually a measure of the energy required to move your body. And larger people require more energy to do their body. This means that you’ll typically burn more calories at a heavier weight.
Now, let’s move on to these household chores that can help you burn calories and become fitter as you work on them.
Chores that count as exercise
1. Food preparation
Do away with the food processor and chop fruits and vegetables on your own, suggests Weight Watchers.
30 minutes of chopping vegetables can help you burn 68 calories if you weigh 150 pounds, and 30 minutes of whisking and mixing ingredients by hand burns 81 calories! What a way to get rid of some extra calories before you consume them again.
Work those arms, too, by reaching for the top shelf. You can also take time to reorganize your pantry. The constant motion of lifting cans can help tone and trim, when done often enough.
2. Doing the dishes
After slaving in the kitchen preparing lunch for the family, maybe the last thing you want to do is wash the dirty plates, pots and pans. For some people, however, doing the dishes can be a form of therapy. But did you know that it can also be a kind of workout?
According to WebMD, 30 minutes of washing dishes by hand and cleaning up the kitchen with moderate intensity gets rid of 187 calories if you weigh 125 pounds and 300 calories if you weigh 200 pounds.
Want to burn more calories? Instead of standing motionless, save for your arms, in front of the sink, why not try moving your waist in consistent, circular movements. Imagine yourself as a hula dancer swaying to soft beach music. Put on some of your favorite songs to make the task feel less like a chore and burn the calories you gained by eating.
For more tips, check out this practical exercise video.
3. Redecorating
It’s been said that idy and pleasant interior design at home has positive effects on your psychological well-being. But did you know that painting the walls of a room as well as rearranging your furniture is a good way to burn calories?
Just 30 minutes of unboxing things, walking up and down the stairs and moving things around will burn 105 calories if you weigh 125 pounds and 155 calories if you’re 200 pounds.
4. Cleaning floors
Moving around your heavy-duty vacuum and using it for 30 minutes zaps 99 calories if you’re 120 pounds, 124 calories if you’re 150 pounds, and 166 calories if you’re 200 pounds. You can cut the calories by half if you’re using the new handheld vacuum cleaners.
While mopping and vacuuming helps you exercise your arms and tummy, bending down and scrubbing the floor with a wet rag while alternating it with squatting can be even more effective. Buffing the floors with a bunot or a foot rag also helps you exercise and tone your thighs and legs.
If you want to incorporate more exercises while cleaning, check out the video below.
5. Doing the laundry
Washing clothes takes a lot of energy, especially if you’re not using a washing machine. A 150-pound person will burn 143 calories for an hour of folding clothes and 286 calories from washing clothes by hand. A 200-pound person will burn 191 and 382 calories in the same scenario. Get a load of laundry done and get a lot of calories burned – definitely a win-win!
If you’re squatting in front of a basin, make sure to be aware of your core or midsection. Try to stand up in between scrubbings and squat back down slowly as you scrub. Lifting loads of wet laundry would also be a great way to lift weights without hitting the gym.
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6. Washing your car
It’s a tedious job, which is why we usually hire others to do it, but there’s a reason car wash boys and girls are so fit – they burn a lot of calories while doing the task. 30 minutes of washing your car by hand burns 135 calories if you weigh 125 pounds and 200 calories if you weigh 185 pounds.
Like scrubbing floors, washing your car gives you plenty of opportunities to stretch and bend while exerting effort into scrubbing. Try to lift buckets of water to and from the faucet instead of using a hose. Why not try using a tabo? This way, you can burn more calories as opposed to when you’re simply using a hose.
7. Making the bed
When you’ve got a busy day ahead of you, it can be so tempting to leave the bed as it is without fixing it. But aside from it being a good daily habit, making your bed is another chore that counts as exercise. Doing it in the morning can help boost your energy and lose a few pounds. Changing the linens and bed sheets for 30 minutes burns 187 calories if you weigh 125 pounds and a whopping 300 calories if you weigh 200 pounds.
8. Playing with the kids
Can’t exercise because you’re with the kids almost 24/7? You can actually turn that into a workout. Just 30 minutes of running, jumping and horsing around with the kids burns 120 calories if you weigh 125 pounds and 178 calories if you weigh 200 pounds. That’s also a good way of keeping the kids fit, don’t you agree?
If your little one can’t play with you yet because he’s too young to be running around, walking him around the village for 30 minutes burns 102 calories if you weigh 150 pounds and 122 if you weigh 180 pounds.
Image from Pexels
A few tips in doing these chores that count as exercise, pump up the pace to burn more calories and try to do it for 10 minutes straight before resting. Playing upbeat music will help raise your stamina and also your disposition towards your task. If you can do other simple chores at home standing up instead of sitting down, all the better for you.
However, when it comes to lifting heavy objects, always ask for assistance if it’s too much for you to avoid injuries. Don’t forget to drink water, especially on a hot day.
Though these are helpful ways to get fit while being productive, it’s important to keep your calorie intake in check, not depending on housework as your only form of physical activity. Lastly, don’t forget to cool down and relax after a hard day’s work so your body can recover.
Additional information by Camille Eusebio
Source:
WebMD, Good Housekeeping, MyFitnessPal